Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a very well known process in the semiconductor industry for forming thin films of materials on substrates, such as silicon wafers. In a CVD process, gaseous molecules, including constituents of the material to be deposited, are supplied to wafers to form a thin film of that material on the wafers by chemical reaction. Typically, CVD processes are conducted at elevated temperatures to accelerate the chemical reaction and to produce high quality films.
Substrates (e.g., silicon wafers) can be heated using resistance heating, induction heating or radiant heating. Among these, radiant heating is the most efficient technique and, hence, is the currently favored method for certain types of CVD, particularly for cold wall reactors, where rapid heating is desired in each heating cycle. Similarly, radiant heating is favored in numerous other types of semiconductor processing reactors, such as rapid thermal anneal (RTA), rapid thermal processors (RTP), etch tools, etc. Radiant heating involves positioning infrared lamps within high-temperature ovens, called reactors. Currently, lamps are fastened into the reactor with brass washers and screws. Because of the confined space in the reactor, these screws are difficult to install and/or replace and often are lost within the hardware of the reactor itself. Lost screws have the potential to damage the reactor or cause electrical short-circuits, and, consequently, time is sacrificed locating and replacing them during lamp changes.
Accordingly, a need exists for a means of fastening heating lamps in a semiconductor processing reactor which avoids the aforementioned problems of the prior configuration.